Guildford-based photographer Richard Booth has been selected as one of ten artists to tell the story of the London 2012 Olympics through the BT Art of Sport initiative. The BT Art of Sport programme is a key element of BT’s sponsorship activities for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Participating artists have been granted access to work close to top Olympians and Paralympians, and draw on them for inspiration in their work. The project will provide a legacy to the Olympic Games and the sale of works will support a range of sporting charities including Paralympics GB.

Richard Booth has been selected as one of 10 artists to tell the story of the London 2012 Olympics through the BT Art of Sport initiative

The photographer will honor the achievement of Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes through a photographic series commissioned by BT

Booth has worked with leading athletes including Oscar Pistorius (sprinter), Mark Hunter and Zack Purchase (rowers), Lee Pearson (equestrian) and Sarah Story (cyclist)

Booth has also been commissioned by the publishers Wiley & Sons and LOCOG to produce Power and Movement: Portraits of Britain’s Paralympic Athletes, the official photographic book of the 2012 Paralympic Games

‘Working with Team GB through the BT Art of Sport project has been an absolute privilege, I am totally in awe of athletes who train to Olympic standard’ – Richard Booth

The BT Art of Sport programme is a key element of BT’s sponsorship activities for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The idea behind the initiative is simple. Participating artists have been granted access to work close to top Olympians and Paralympians, and draw on them for inspiration in their work. The BT Art of Sport initiative will re-tell the 2012 Olympic story, capturing the dedication and commitment of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes, whilst conveying the drama and passion of these sporting events. The project will provide a legacy to the Olympic Games and the sale of works will support a range of sporting charities including Paralympics GB.

Richard Booth works from a photographic studio in a converted kiln on the Watts Gallery Estate in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. His photography specialises in emotive imagery, and in his sporting work he effectively captures the movement, strength and passion of his Olympic and Paralympic subjects. He is committed to photographing each of the 26 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the run up to the 2012 Olympic games.